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'Brother's Justice' Review: Dax Shepard Becomes a Martial Arts Action Star (AFF)

By Jette Kernion (Subscribe to Jette Kernion's posts), Posted Oct 28th 2010 8:32PM
Filed under: Reviews, Cinematical, Festivals

When you think of actor Dax Shepard, you might remember him in 'Idiocracy,' 'When in Rome,' 'Baby Mama' or more recently, the TV show 'Parenthood.' He plays comic roles, sometimes as a humorously not-so-bright guy. You don't think "action hero" or "martial-arts star." But in the movie 'Brother's Justice,' co-directed by Shepard and David Palmer, Shepard wants to change that perception. He's ready to be the next Bruce Willis or Jet Li, if only someone will give him the chance.

The movie is shot documentary style, with the cast all playing themselves. Shepard and his old friend, producer Nate Tuck, decide they want to make a movie Dax has thought up called 'Brother's Justice,' an action film in which Dax plays the hero. They approach a number of people to enlist in their project: Dax's agent, producer Andrew Panay ('Wedding Crashers'), director Jon Favreau, and to play the hero's brother, Ashton Kutcher. All of them are skeptical, because Dax is not really action-film leading man material, and because Dax's pitches of the movie range from nonexistent to barely coherent. Dax also approaches Tom Arnold, in one of the funnier scenes of the movie. However, Dax and Nate can't seem to find anyone who really wants to back Dax's great idea ... at least, not with Dax in the lead.
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Their Best Role: Susan Sarandon

By Jette Kernion (Subscribe to Jette Kernion's posts), Posted Oct 27th 2010 8:00PM
Filed under: Cinematical
Bull Durham

Actress Susan Sarandon has been enjoying a long and varied career. The earliest movie I've seen her in is Billy WIlder's 1974 remake of 'The Front Page,' in which she sings between films at a movie theater and tries to lure Jack Lemmon away from journalism into a life of respectability. It's a far cry from her portrayal of Sister Helen Prejean in 'Dead Man Walking,' which won her a Best Actress Oscar in 1996.

She's danced around in lingerie in 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show,' defied authority in 'Thelma and Louise,' and threatened to destroy Manhattan as the wicked Queen Narissa in' Enchanted.' She's played one of the most understanding mothers in American literature -- Marmee in 'Little Women' -- and also one of the meanest bitch moms ever to scorch the screen in 'Igby Goes Down.' Over the years, she's moved from perky heroines to memorable moms and in last year's 'The Lovely Bones,' even a feisty grandmother.
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Jessica Alba, Bill Hader and Others Prove Why 'The Hand Job' Has to Become a Movie

By Jette Kernion (Subscribe to Jette Kernion's posts), Posted Oct 27th 2010 6:20PM
Filed under: Cinematical, Festivals
AFF Script Reading

Would you buy a ticket at your local theater (or rent a DVD, or VOD) to watch a movie called 'The Hand Job'? And no, it's not about life as a hand model or some kind of weird mannequin-related caper film. It's a comedy about a young woman who graduates high school and decides she needs to learn about sexual activities before college, including the one in the title.

'The Hand Job' isn't a movie yet. It currently only exists as a screenplay from writer Maggie Carey ('The Jeannie Tate Show'), unattached to any studio or production company. The screenplay made Franklin Leonard's 2009 "Black List" of top-notch unproduced screenplays, and the Austin Film Festival decided to see what all the fuss was about. The fest held a staged script reading on Sunday, with 15 actors and actresses reading the roles and narration. The talent included Jessica Alba, in Austin to shoot 'Spy Kids 4'; original 'Spy Kids' Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara; 'Saturday Night Live' star Bill Hader (who is also Carey's husband); and Colin Hanks, who was at AFF promoting his film High 'School.'
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'I Love You Phillip Morris' Review: It Was Worth the Wait

By Jette Kernion (Subscribe to Jette Kernion's posts), Posted Oct 26th 2010 3:36PM
Filed under: Reviews, Cinematical, Festivals
I Love You Phillip Morris

For many of us, it's been a long wait to see 'I Love You Phillip Morris,' which has had its release date pushed back numerous times because of distribution difficulties. It's so easy to feel let down by a film you've waited a long time to see. Happily, however, the film adapted and directed by the 'Bad Santa' writing team -- due in American theaters starting in December -- did not disappoint, with a wonderfully skewed sense of humor keeping a love story from becoming overly sentimental.

'I Love You Phillip Morris' is based on a nonfiction book by Houston journalist Steven McVicker, about real-life con man/prison escape maestro Steven Russell. Russell, played by Jim Carrey in the film, is an average Southern guy -- ex-policeman, working successfully in the produce business, happily married to a nice Christian woman (Leslie Mann) -- until an auto accident convinces him that he should stop concealing the secret part of his life and come out of the closet. Russell separates from his wife and begins to lead an ostentatiously gay and wealthy lifestyle, which his career choices can't afford ... so he turns to a life of crime, mostly fraud. While serving time in a Texas prison, he's swept off his feet by fellow prisoner Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor), and suddenly his judgment becomes seriously impaired by True Love.
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'Exporting Raymond' Review: The Russian Ray Romano?

By Jette Kernion (Subscribe to Jette Kernion's posts), Posted Oct 25th 2010 7:00PM
Filed under: Reviews, Festivals
Exporting Raymond

How do you make a very American sitcom funny for a Russian audience? This is the question that Phil Rosenthal asks throughout his documentary 'Exporting Raymond.' Rosenthal was the creator of 'Everybody Loves Raymond,' the long-running popular sitcom starring Ray Romano. Several years ago, he was asked to assist in creating a Russian version of the TV show ... and he brought a camera crew with him to document the process. The results are often funnier than any fictional situation comedy.

Rosenthal opens the movie in America, showing us footage of 'Everybody Loves Raymond' to demonstrate how it was shot (for later contrast), even taking us to his parents' house before he leaves for Russia. He jokes that his parents' house was often the inspiration for much of the humor in the American sitcom ... and a scene with his parents demonstrates that he is not exaggerating. In Russia, he has to face all kinds of cultural barriers to getting what he considered a "naturalistic" sitcom off the ground. The costume designer wants the stay-at-home mom to dress in trendy fashions; the writers want over-the-top humor; the network execs don't like the actor whom Rosenthal thinks is the obvious choice for the title character in 'Everybody Loves Kostya.'
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Boyle! Aronofsky! Dog Sweat! Austin Film Festival 2010 Is Underway!

By Jette Kernion (Subscribe to Jette Kernion's posts), Posted Oct 22nd 2010 6:35PM
Filed under: Cinematical, Festivals

Thursday marked the beginning of the 17th annual Austin Film Festival and Conference (AFF). The festival regularly draws a crowd of not just film buffs, but also aspiring screenwriters and filmmakers. The screenwriters' conference is what puts this festival above the usual run of regional film festivals ... although the gorgeous fall weather in Central Texas and a lot of good barbecue doesn't hurt, either.

Writing is a big focus of this film festival, and the conference and special screenings feature a number of excellent movie and TV screenwriters. David Peoples is receiving the AFF Distinguished Screenwriter Award this year -- the movies he's scripted include '12 Monkeys' (which Peoples will screen and discuss), 'Unforgiven'' and 'Blade Runner.' The Outstanding Television Writer Award this year will be presented to David Simon, who created 'The Wire' and 'Treme.' And Austin writer/filmmaker Robert Rodriguez will be at the fest not only to show 'Sin City' -- and answer an infinite number of inquiries about 'Sin City 2' -- but to receive the festival's Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Award.
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Karl Urban on 'Red,' 'Dredd' and Picking Movie Roles

By Jette Kernion (Subscribe to Jette Kernion's posts), Posted Oct 16th 2010 10:20PM
Filed under: Celebrity Interviews, Cinematical

The type of movie you like will probably determine how you know Karl Urban. Big fan of the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy? He played Eomer. Like the 'Star Trek' reboot? He was "Bones" McCoy. Fond of culty syndicated TV shows like 'Hercules' and' Xena'? He was both Julius Caesar and Cupid (not at the same time). Or perhaps you've caught the New Zealand actor in 'The Bourne Supremacy,' indie film 'Out of the Blue' or even, if you care to admit to watching it, 'Doom.'

Urban returns to the big screen this weekend in 'Red,' a heist comedy so chock-full of big-name stars like Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman and John Malkovich that Urban isn't even in the trailer, which is practically a crime. In this adaptation of a D.C. Comics graphic novel, he plays William Cooper, a CIA agent who is hired to take care of certain retired agents who possess dangerous secrets.

Cinematical sat down with Karl Urban at Fantastic Fest, where 'Red' had a special screening, to discuss not only his role in 'Red' but a few upcoming roles, such as another comic-book adaptation, 'Dredd,' in which he will portray the title character. He also talks about a couple of New Zealand films he's been in that you might check out if you want to see him in some slightly different types of movies.
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